Things are looking up for electrical contractors and the construction industry as construction jobs and contractor confidence are on the rise. Analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGCA)...

recently I spoke with Neil Tolson, executive director of the Electrical Industry Certifications Association (EICA), about his organization and its recently accredited American National Standards Institute (ANSI) crane operator certifications....

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) recently published the report “2015 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization,” an excellent resource for lighting market analysis and business planning. One thing is clear: The...

It’s not really surprising when a utility in California or Massachusetts announces plans to up its game in the renewable-energy marketplace—air pollution and greenhouse-gas concerns long have been at the...

On February 15, at 2 p.m., ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and Belden partnered to present a free webinar, "Connecting the Digital Building." The recording is now available. It's recommended for electrical and...

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Each National Electrical Code (NEC) revision cycle seems to result in a multitude of changes in Article 210, Part III, which covers required lighting and receptacle outlets. There are so many changes in each new Code that ele...

Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com . Answers are based on the 2017 NE...

I believe in the power of association. Networking. Sharing experiences and ideas with my fellow electrical contractors. The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) organizes meetings, conferences and a convention....

Article 110 in the National Electrical Code (NEC) is the second of only two articles in Chapter 1; the first is Article 100, Definitions. Article 100 contains only those definitions essential to the application of the NEC. It...

When I first became involved with the IEEE working groups on power-quality standards in 1994, IEEE had just published 519 1992, Recommended Practice and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electric Power Systems. (The next p...

The recent stock market volatility should cause us to at least think about preparing for a potential economic downturn. That can be hard to do, especially as we are in a relative upturn now. If you have worked in the construc...

The foundation of any solid physical security detection solution starts at the perimeter and focuses first on the door or entrance and egress areas, and that means some type of access control. There have been widespread chang...

In the January issue, we discussed changes to the fire alarm requirements in the 2018 International Building and Fire Codes. This month, let’s look at changes in the 2018 NFPA 101, Life Safety Code. First and foremost, it is...

Microcables are becoming very popular, and it’s important to understand their purpose, applications and installation. These smaller fiber optic cables are designed for applications where large numbers of fibers are required a...

While almost all electrical contractors that do low-voltage work focus their efforts on large commercial, industrial, healthcare and government projects, Berwick Electric Co. in Colorado Springs, Colo., also likes to focus on...